Probation for teen who abused younger girl

She targeted the young girl not once but twice, and even used a lit cigarette to burn the 15-year-old's thighs.

The initial confrontation took place in December, when Anna Belle Tan Yee Min and a gang of six took turns slapping the girl.

More than a month later, Tan confronted the girl about the first incident and slapped her again.

Yesterday, Tan, 17, was sentenced to 21 months' probation and given 150 hours of community service for the two incidents.

Two of the four charges related to rioting and voluntarily causing hurt were taken into consideration for sentencing.

TNP PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

The six other girls, aged 13 to 17, had been sentenced earlier for rioting charges.

One was given a probationary sentence and the others were issued warnings.

Tan was 16 at the time of the offence.

The court heard that on Dec 20 last year, Tan and the gang of girls approached the 15-year-old and her friends at the void deck of a Housing Board block in Hougang.

Court documents said the group felt the girl was arrogant and wanted to teach her a lesson.

They took her to the walkway beside the block and took turns slapping and pushing her.

Anna Belle Tan Yee Min. PHOTO: ST

Tan also splashed a drink in her face and used a lit cigarette to burn the girl's thighs.

Before they left, they warned the girl against making a police report, but she lodged one anyway.

The second incident happened on Jan 31 this year, when Tan chanced upon the girl at a convenience store in Hougang.

Investigations revealed that she became angry and asked the girl to drop the initial case.

The girl rang her mother, who warned Tan that another police report would be made if she assaulted her daughter again.

MOTHER

At Tan's instruction, the girl told her mother that Tan had left and hung up.

Unhappy that the girl had made a police report and had told her mother and teacher about it, Tan splashed a drink in the girl's face and slapped her.

Again, Tan warned the girl not to make a police report.

The girl sought medical treatment almost a month after the initial incident.

The medical report done on Jan 13 showed she had a scar on her left elbow and scars on both thighs.

The girl did not seek medical treatment for the second incident, but said she felt pain on her nose and cheek.

For rioting, Tan could have faced a jail term of up to seven years with caning. For charges related to voluntarily causing hurt, she could have been jailed for a maximum of two years, with a fine of $5,000.